


A Subtle Statement

by reeby10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol references, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Established Relationship, Halloween Costumes, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Party, Tom Riddle is still a megalomaniac in this lbr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 03:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16380614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: The Ministry is throwing a Halloween party, and Harry plans to make a statement on the arm of Tom Riddle.





	A Subtle Statement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Akumzae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumzae/gifts).



> I hope Harry is sassy enough for you, akumzae!
> 
> **ETA:** Made some minor changes 4/21/19.

Harry looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, pleased. His costume looked quite good if he did say so himself, especially the fangs, which he hadn’t been quite sure he’d be able to talk with when the shopkeeper first suggested them. And his look was sure to cause quite the buzz, always half the fun at these types of things.

There was a knock on the door and he smoothed his robes down one last time before turning and calling, “Alright, you can come in now.”

Tom’s eyebrows went up as he stepped into the room and got his first look at Harry’s costume. Harry wore a brilliantly green robe — Slytherin green, matching his eyes — that had the look of scales which shimmered when he turned, the train trailing out behind him in a way that almost looked like a tail. The skin on the back of his hands and around the edges of his face was painted to match, the scales darker and closer together at his hairline, fading out as they went in toward his face.

Tom prowled forward, smirking as he looked Harry over from head to toe. “Making quite a subtle statement tonight, aren’t you?” he asked, amused.

Harry snorted, eyeing Tom’s own costume. It was full Roman armor, off white and shades of grey except for the trimming of bright red. He looked like he’d just stepped out from a mosaic Harry remembered seeing once, except for the addition of a gleaming gold crown nestled in the waves of his dark hair.

“Yes, because you as Alexander the Great is a much more subtle one.”

“If they’re going to make comparisons like that in The Daily Prophet, it’s only fair that I live up to them,” Tom replied with a shrug. “Or down, since I hardly think they meant it favorably.”

That was probably quite true. Harry had read an article just last week from The Daily Prophet where they wondered quite critically about Tom’s quick rise up the ranks in the Ministry. It had been interesting, but they really didn’t have the imagination for Tom’s true plans.

Well, they’d find out eventually, wouldn’t they?

“In any case,” Tom said, interrupting him from thoughts of the future, “are you ready to go?”

Harry nodded, reaching out to take Tom’s proffered arm as they made their way out of the house. As soon as they were out of the wards, they disapparated with twin cracks.

***

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. Harry could hear the music as they approached Hinkleworth’s, the restaurant where the party was being held. He took a deep breath, composing himself, as Tom opened the door and they both entered.

It would have been hyperbole to say that everything stopped as soon as they came in, but there was certainly a bit of a stir. The people closest to the entrance began to stare and whisper as soon as they saw the two of them, and it rippled out to the rest of the crowd as they walked. Harry didn’t bother to hide his grin of amusement, which only spread as a nearby witch caught sight of his fangs and gasped.

“I told you,” Tom whispered in Harry’s ear, the puff of air against his skin making him shiver.

“And I didn’t disagree,” Harry replied, just as quietly. He could see a few nearby wizards trying, and failing, to subtly eavesdrop. “You can’t believe I’d wear something like this for anything _but_ the way it would make them talk.”

While anyone else might think that Harry was simply dressed as a snake, anyone at the Ministry with a lick of thought would know exactly what his snake costume meant. It was a declaration of intention, a declaration of loyalty. Tom had long been called a snake in the grass of the Ministry, just waiting for his chance to pounce. It was far more true than even they knew.

They finally arrived at the back of the restaurant, where the Minister of Magic was seated with a few other higher ranking Ministry officials. He smiled when he saw Tom, eyes going a little wide when he saw Harry beside him. It made Harry want to giggle, but he bit back on the instinct.

“Minister,” Tom said, bowing a little in respect. Or at least what would look like respect from the outside. Harry knew better. “You’ve got quite a party going here. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Of course, of course!” Minister Fudge replied, just a bit too loudly. It looked like he’d hit the firewhiskey a little early. “Couldn’t leave the Ministry’s rising star out, now could we? So glad you could make it. And your, er, date as well.”

“Oh yes, my apologies for not properly introducing you.” Harry could tell from his voice that he wasn’t really apologetic, but several of the lower officials nearby seemed quite impressed by his show of manners. “May I introduce you to Harry Potter, my partner? Harry, this is Minister Fudge.”

Harry smiled, amused by the way the sight of his fangs made Fudge flinch back just a little, and held out a hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Minister. I’ve heard so many good things.”

“Yes, yes, you as well,” Fudge said boisterously. “I believe you were Professor Dumbledore’s protege while at Hogwarts, weren’t you?” Harry nodded, and Fudge put on what he probably thought was a sympathetic face. “A shame about his passing, quite a shame.”

“Yes, it was very unexpected,” Harry replied, faux somberly. “He’d been sick for quite awhile without telling anyone.”

That wasn’t exactly true, but Harry certainly wasn’t going to tell the Minister of Magic that he’d been the one to poison Dumbledore. The slow buildup of wormwood in his morning tea for five years, ever since Harry was in sixth year, had been completely undetectable unless one knew to look. Dumbledore hadn’t even known he was dying until it was too late, and he certainly hadn’t known that his prize pupil was to blame.

“I was lucky to be so close to him at the end of his life, though of course that was quite difficult as well,” Harry continued, trying his best to sound like the heartbroken young wizard everyone thought he was. He reached down for Tom’s hand, smiling internally at the way the eyes of everyone around them went to their intertwined fingers. “Thankfully Tom has been here to help me through.”

Fudge nodded, obviously buying every word of it, just like Harry knew he would. He, like many in the Ministry, were quite taken with Tom’s perfect manners and charismatic personality. Of course, not everyone was — The Daily Prophet for one, and Dumbledore certainly hadn’t been — but they were in the minority.

“Well, we don’t want to keep you from the rest of your guests,” Tom said, thankfully moving them away from any more talk about Dumbledore.

“Of course, yes!” Fudge exclaimed. “Please, go enjoy the party!”

Tom smiled, nodding at the Minister and other officials in farewell before offering Harry his arm. They set off into the crowd. There were still plenty of partygoers who hadn’t seen their costumes yet, and Harry certainly wouldn’t want to deny them the opportunity. He knew quite well that they made a fantastic pair.

**Author's Note:**

> Harry's costume is based on [this makeup](https://www.instagram.com/p/BoADcrgnie7/) and Tom's is based on [this mosaic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#/media/File:Alexander_the_Great_mosaic.jpg).


End file.
